Kelowna

Driver dead after reservoir rescue

Tuesday Dec. 13: 21-year-old Shayla Driver died of her injuries after her vehicle crashed into McKinley Reservoir Monday afternoon.

An autopsy is being completed to determine the cause of death.

Update 4:20 p.m.: RCMP report the driver, who was pulled from her submerged car, has passed away at Kelowna General Hospital.

The 21-year-old Kamloops woman was driving her grey Buick sedan eastbound around McKinley reservoir, on McKinley Rd. just before 1 p.m. today.

It appears she lost control on a sharp single curve and rolled her vehicle down a 30-foot embankment before crashing through the ice and slipping beneath the surface with only a wheel showing.

A witness, who was following a few hundred meters behind the victim's vehicle, immediately called 911 and waited helplessly for help to come.

Emergency crews arrived with members of the Kelowna Fire Department's "Cold Water Rescue" team who suited up and braved the frigid water to hook a tow line to the vehicle that was then pulled up onto the steep shoreline.

The Jaws of Life were used to cut the vehicle open in order to extricate the unconscious woman, who was still in her seatbelt, from the vehicle and take her to Kelowna General Hospital.

The rescue time, from initial call to arrival at Hospital, was around 45 minutes.

RCMP say there is a one hour window, from the time someone drowns in freezing water till they get to Hospital, where they could be revived barring any other complications. Unfortunately, in this case, she was not able to pull through.

The investigation continues into the circumstances surrounding this incident.